OCD Awareness Week

Monday, October 12th, 2009 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Today, October 12th, is the first day of OCD Awareness Week. The International Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation (OCF) is the force behind the creation of OCD Awareness Week, which it describes as “a vehicle for support, advocacy and education to help end the stigma surrounding OCD and encourage sufferers to identify the disorder and / or seek treatment”. The OCF is also working with its many local affiliates around the US “to educate their communities and the public as a whole about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and its treatments.”

The OCF suggests numerous ways that the public can participate in OCD Awareness Week, including:

Participating in local events
Attending a support group
Hosting a book discussion
Becoming a mentor and / or friend to someone with OCD
Sending a letter to the edition of your local paper about OCD Awareness Week
Starting an email campaign
Becoming a member of the OCF
Making a contribution to the OCF
Adding an OCF badge to your Facebook page
Becoming a “fan” of the OCF’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-OCD-Foundation/153834917994

You can learn more about the above options at the OCF web page dedicated to OCD Awareness Week at http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocdawarenessweek.php. The page provides a template that can be used in writing a letter to the edition of your local paper. Likewise, it also provides a template for an email campaign to be used in letting friends, relatives and colleagues know about OCD, the OCF, and OCD Awareness Week.

•Tom Corboy, MFT, is the director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, a private, outpatient clinic specializing in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related conditions. He can be contacted director@ocdla.com.